


the magic healing fort

by fraisedesbois



Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, firby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24702886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraisedesbois/pseuds/fraisedesbois
Summary: There was nowhere else she wanted to be more but under the magic healing fort. Nowhere else but with her girl.
Relationships: Kirby Anders & Fallon Carrington, Kirby Anders/Fallon Carrington
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	the magic healing fort

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Amanda for beta reading! This story was inspired by the fort scene in The Holiday (2006).

“I can’t believe you did this. It’s so perfect.”

Fallon looked up at Kirby. Her head was resting on her girlfriend’s lap. Kirby smiled as she played with Fallon’s hair. Bo was asleep right next to them, his respiration slow but steady. The brunette kept one hand on him, gently stroking his belly and occasionally kissing him right behind his ear. Her cheeks were still stained with tears, even though she had stopped crying awhile ago.

The three of them were lying on the floor near the chimney - or, more accurately, they were laying in a pile of soft and fluffy comforters and pillows that had been thrown under a couple of white bed sheets that formed a tent above their heads. It was big enough to occupy most of the room. Kirby called it the “magic healing fort”. The whole thing was lit up by a bunch of fairy lights, and little stars made of colorful paper were hung at the center. It did look magical, just like it used to when they were kids. Maybe it could be healing, too.

“I wanted Bo to be comfortable and I knew you wouldn’t leave his side. This is your favorite place in the whole house to cuddle with him, so I figured I had to do something. I wanted it to be special,” Kirby explained.

Fallon sat up carefully, making sure she wasn’t disturbing Bo’s peace. She looked at her beloved dog and immediately teared up. Kirby had a sad look on her face, too, but she was trying her hardest to hold it together for the both of them. She had never seen Fallon this upset in her life. She was so vulnerable, more than she had ever allowed Kirby to see. Bo was her baby. He was her dog. She couldn’t bear the idea of losing him. She used to joke about him being the only male to never disappoint her, and although it was a joke, it was also true. She remembered the day her dad had brought him home. He was so tiny and adorable and she had felt instant love for him. Bo had been such a good dog and he had given her so much love throughout the years, Fallon could never repay him for all he had given her. But this... it couldn’t be the end. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye. She didn’t want to.

“Fallon,” Kirby started. Before she could go on, the brunette turned around with her eyes looking up at the ceiling.

“I’m not crying.”

She clearly was, but Kirby didn’t have the heart to argue with her about it. All she really wanted to do was wrap her girlfriend in her arms and hold her until all the sadness and worries went away. Eventually, Fallon stopped looking up to look straight into Kirby’s eyes. They stayed quiet for a moment, Kirby’s fingers silently looking for Fallon’s hand to hold. She gently stroked the back of it with her thumb. She wanted to tell her that everything would be okay - she wanted to tell her that Bo wasn’t going to die tonight. Unfortunately, these were promises she wasn’t sure she could keep, so she said nothing, only hoping her presence was enough to make the other girl feel better.

They remained silent for a while longer and eventually laid back down. Fallon was lying on her side, facing Bo, while Kirby served as the big spoon with one arm wrapped tightly around her girlfriend’s waist. It was the perfect position for her to easily bury her face in the back of Fallon’s neck, a great spot to drop soft comforting kisses. Kirby did not hold back, and the other woman offered no protest.

“Did you cut out the paper stars yourself?” Fallon asked suddenly.

“Sam and I both did.”

Fallon pointed out that some of them had six points instead of the usual five. Kirby blamed it on Sam’s drawing skills, which apparently weren’t all that great. She told Fallon about how frustrated Sam had gotten when he realized her paper stars looked way better than his, but he had put so much heart into the project that she decided to hang them up anyway. Fallon made a mental note to thank him later for contributing to the surprise.

Bo let out a loud snore which took both girls by surprise. Fallon jumped up and hovered over him worriedly while Kirby perched herself up on her elbows.

Fallon turned to the redhead. “Do you think he’s in pain?”

“He doesn’t look like he is.” Kirby tried to sound as reassuring as possible. After all, the vet had given Bo everything he possibly could to make him comfortable.

“I don’t want him to suffer.”

“I know.”

Fallon gave Bo a gentle pat on the head. She bent closer to him and whispered something in his ear that Kirby couldn’t hear.

“Here,” Kirby reached behind her and pulled out Montgomery, her stuffed wombat that she had had since she was a little girl. She placed it near Bo’s head. “He needs it more than I do right now.”

Fallon looked at Kirby and smiled. She had always made fun of the other woman for owning that thing and even having the audacity to call it cute. When they were younger, Kirby used to carry it with her all over the manor. Fallon always thought it looked gross and kind of scary, unlike her expensive teddy bears, but she remembered Bo had been guilty of stealing Montgomery a few times in the past and again recently. He apparently shared a common love for that stuffed animal with Kirby. The brunette personally thought it looked too much like a rat to belong anywhere but in the trash, but she had to admit the gesture was adorable.

“Thank you for sharing your rat with Bo. He’s always loved it.”

“I’ve already told you a million times, Montgomery is not a rat, it’s a wom—,” the Australian stopped herself when she saw a tiny smirk appear on Fallon’s face. “Haha! You’re hilarious,” Kirby pouted.

Usually, Fallon would have let her pout, but today had been emotional and she didn’t have it in her to be mean, not even a little teasing. She immediately threw herself in Kirby’s arms and kissed her.

“I’m sorry,” she exclaimed, before dropping another kiss on the redhead’s cheek. “Thank you for sharing Montgomery with Bo, and thank you for building the fort just like before.”

Fallon placed her arms around Kirby’s neck and gently rubbed the back of her head. The other woman didn’t pout much longer.

“I love it. It brings back a lot of memories.”

“It does?” Kirby asked, her eyes wide like she was surprised by the words that were coming out of Fallon’s mouth. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you’d remember…”

“Of course I remember! Do you know how many storms I spent hiding in your fort, even months after you were gone?” Fallon pulled Kirby’s face a little closer to hers. “Don’t make fun of me, okay?” Fallon asked, feeling a wave of embarrassment coming over her.

Kirby shook her head, silently promising she wouldn’t.

“I was so upset when Anders took it down and gave away your room to a new staff member,” the brunette said more quietly, as if it was still hard to this day to admit it.

Kirby grimaced. The thought of her father giving away her room to someone else reminded her of how things had gone down back then. She didn’t like thinking about her sudden departure from the manor.

“You’ve never told me this before.”

“Well, I’m telling you now,” Fallon shrugged. “After Anders took it down, I found out there were other ways to deal with my weather phobia. I didn’t think I’d ever need the fort again, until tonight.”

Kirby’s face brightened.

“You love the fort!” She exclaimed excitedly.

Fallon laughed at the other woman’s reaction and nodded slowly.

“I love the fort.”

* * *

_About 13 years ago_

“I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.”

Sitting cross-legged on the floor of her ensuite bathroom, Fallon had both of her hands covering her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the thunder would go away pretty soon. A pair of eyes was watching her closely on the other side of the room.

The storm outside was insane and although she was barricaded inside her bathroom, Fallon felt like the sky was about to drop on her head and she was terrified. When really loud thunder resonated, she squealed and pressed harder on her ears. She felt movement around her and slowly opened her eyes to find her brand new puppy trying to fit on her lap, shaking.

“Oh, Bo!” She exclaimed, pulling the dog closer to her chest. “Are you scared too?” She looked down at him and started to softly pet him on the head. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay, I promise.”

She held him close to her chest for a while, still trying to forget what was happening outside, until a loud bang on the door made Fallon jump. She rolled her eyes, exasperated that someone would even try to interrupt her weather phobia crisis. She looked down at Bo and decided to ignore whoever was at the door.

A few seconds later another bang was heard, quickly followed by a thick Australian accent rising from the other side of the door.

“Fallon?”

Nothing.

“Fallon, I know you’re in there,” Kirby chanted. Fallon immediately could tell by the intonation of the other girl’s voice that she wasn’t going to give up easily. Kirby had always had a way of bothering her at the worst possible times. It was kind of her thing. She called it a gift, meanwhile Fallon called it hell.

“Go away!” Fallon screamed, just as another round of thunder happened.

“I want to show you something,” Kirby insisted.

It took a few minutes of constant back and forth for the redhead to finally convince her friend to open the door and let her in. Fallon had stood up and rearranged herself a little before opening the door only wide enough to pull Kirby by the arm and make her slide inside.

“Quick! Close the door behind you!” Fallon shouted at the younger girl.

“Why?” Kirby asked, a little confused.

“Because I want it shut,” Fallon sighed. “You’re so annoying!”

Kirby didn’t care. She was already on the ground, playing with Bo, who didn’t look so scared anymore. Fallon rolled her eyes and closed the door herself.

“What do you want, Kirby?” She asked, already feeling impatient.

With her hands sitting on her hips, she tried to give the younger girl her best stern look, but just as she was about to ask Kirby to leave, more thunder echoed and Fallon flinched, bringing her hands back over her ears. Kirby held Bo closer to her chest and looked at Fallon. She got up, still holding the puppy, and walked up to the brunette who had already closed her eyes by now and looked like she was on the verge of having a panic attack.

“Fallon, you need to breathe,” Kirby said, putting one of her hands on the other girl’s shoulder. She expected her to pull away immediately, but when she didn’t, Kirby smiled. It was rare for Fallon to let anyone close enough to actually offer her any sort of comforting gesture. This was a small progress, although it was mostly due to the fact that she was in an unusual state of panic.

Fallon kept her eyes closed and Kirby kept a reassuring hand on her, still holding the puppy with her other arm. When Fallon finally opened her eyes, she looked at the redhead. She blushed a little, feeling embarrassed to be acting so childish in front of her. Kirby didn’t look like she was judging her, though. Fallon was surprised that she seemed genuinely concerned for her.

“Feeling better?” Kirby asked with a smile.

Fallon nodded. She gave a quick side glance at Kirby’s hand that was still lingering on her shoulder. There was a moment of awkward silence between them, but then Kirby’s hand slid down Fallon’s arm and eventually ended on her wrist.

“Come on, let me show you what I made!” Kirby said as she frantically pulled Fallon toward the door.

Still recovering from her moment of weakness, Fallon didn’t fight her. She rolled her eyes and dragged her feet, but she let Kirby lead her out of the bathroom and out of her bedroom. They walked through the manor. It felt empty. All Fallon could hear was the rain hitting the roof. She flinched a few times when she saw lightning flashing out the windows.

“I don’t know where you’re taking me, but can we please hurry up?” Fallon begged.

Kirby walked faster almost instantly. Somehow she had stopped pulling her by the wrist and was now holding Fallon by the hand, while also still holding Bo. They had never touched for this long - at least not like that. There was this one time a few years ago when they had a massive fight and Anders and Blake had to separate them. It had taken them at least fifteen minutes to get the girls to let go of each other’s hair. That was Fallon’s fault. What she did to Barbie’s dream house? Unforgivable!

Kirby suddenly came to a halt and turned to Fallon. “Alright, close your eyes!”

“What?” Fallon’s expression was a mix of surprise and worry. “If this is another one of your sick plans to murder me I swear to-”

“Oh, come on, Fallon! Don’t be a baby! It’s a surprise. You have to close your eyes so you don’t ruin it,” Kirby explained enthusiastically.

Fallon seemed to think about it. She rolled her eyes once more, but eventually gave in and closed them. The thunderstorm had her all messed up. Messed up enough that she didn’t have the strength to fight her family’s butler’s annoying daughter.

“Don’t cheat!” Kirby warned playfully.

“Who do you think I am?” Fallon asked, clearly feeling defensive.

Kirby laughed at her come back and shook her head. “Uh huh. I know you, Fallon Carrington.”

They stood there for a few seconds. Kirby looked at her with attention, trying to decide if she had really fully closed her eyes or not. She held her breath and pulled Bo’s face closer to the brunette like she was going to make them kiss. No reaction. A moment later she was pulling her by the hand again, warning her about the stairs they were about to go down.

“Are you taking me downstairs to the staff area?” Fallon asked impatiently. “Oh my god! Are you taking me to your room?”

“Will you please be quiet?” It was all Kirby had to offer as a response to the other girl’s inquiries.

They reached the lower floor and Kirby hurriedly pulled Fallon toward the end of another hallway. They finally stopped in front of a white door on which sparkling dark purple letters spelled out Kirby’s name. Right under it was a small whiteboard with a drawing of a fairy her dad had drawn for her. It was their thing. Every now and then, Anders would leave a drawing or a short note for his daughter. Neither one of them was the type to easily express their feelings, but this was one of the few ways Anders had found to let her know that he loved her. He never fully wrote it down or said it out loud, but she knew that’s what it all meant. The fairy was supposed to be her. She had red hair and long skinny legs. It was inspired by a book her father used to read to her when she was a little girl. She loved it. She loved him.

Kirby opened the door of her room and pulled Fallon inside. She put Bo down and let him explore. “Can I open my eyes now?” Fallon asked sounding a little irritated.

“Yes!” Kirby replied excitedly. “Surprise!” She jumped up and down and kept her eyes on Fallon, not wanting to miss her reaction.

In front of them stood a huge fort. It was the biggest one Kirby had ever made and the biggest one Fallon had ever seen. There were pillows all over the floor, under the fort, and even on the sides. There were bedsheets and curtains hanging from the ceiling thanks to a weirdly functional system Kirby had elaborated herself using ropes and ribbons. The whole thing was spread out in a way that allowed the fort to take up most of the space in the room. Fallon barely noticed Kirby’s bed that was pushed out in a corner. There were fairy lights dangling around the fort and down the side of its entrance. It looked so cosy and warm. In a parent’s eyes, it was a mess, but in a child’s eyes, this was heaven.

“Do you like it?” Kirby asked before Fallon had a chance to say anything.

The older girl was still examining the bedroom with attention, taking in all of the work and efforts Kirby had put in this, with specific attention to the little details that had been put here and there. She eventually turned to Kirby with a raised eyebrow and look that screamed disdain. She was trying to look unimpressed.

“You want me to play with you in this thing?”

Her tone was a little harsh; even she could recognize it. She was trying her best to sound grown-up. After all, she wasn’t a child anymore. Not like Kirby. Fallon had stopped playing dolls many years ago, and although she had to admit the room looked fun, she wasn’t about to admit it to the redhead.

“What?” Kirby asked slowly. Her big smile had dropped suddenly from her face. She looked at Fallon with her head slightly tilted.

“Kirby, don’t you think we’re both a little too old for children’s games?” Fallon asked, turning to the other girl. She immediately noticed the hurt in Kirby’s eyes. Usually, it didn’t bother her, but for some reason it made her feel bad in that moment. “I mean, it’s cute and all, but…”

Fallon didn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t know what to say, and she felt the sudden silence grow heavy and fill the space around her. Neither one of them said anything until they heard Bo yelp for attention. They found him sitting under the fort, looking straight at them.

“Bo likes it,” Fallon offered, pointing at him and trying to somehow break the tension. She smiled as she looked at her puppy who was obviously looking for the best pillow under the fort to lie down on.

“I made it for you,” Kirby whispered just loud enough for Fallon to hear. “To help with your weather phobia.”

Fallon’s mouth dropped open. She rarely let herself feel stupid, but right now she was feeling like the biggest idiot. Since when did she care about Dirty Kirby’s feelings? Why was she feeling bad for not being nice to her when being mean to each other was the basis of their relationship? Speaking of, why was Kirby suddenly doing nice things for her?

“Can I look inside?” Fallon asked. Kirby nodded sadly.

The brunette walked up to the entrance of the fort. The floor was covered in soft layers and the fairy lights looked even prettier from up close. The inside of it looked like a dream. There was a pile of magazines in one corner. Fallon recognized them. They were all of her favorite subscriptions, including the more mature ones that belonged to Alexis. A box of chocolate was sitting next to the magazines, also her favorite brand. She looked on the other side and found a pile of DVDs and a portable DVD player. She couldn’t help but gasp when she saw _The Wizard of Oz_ at the top of the pile. She turned to look at Kirby, who had stayed back.

“It’s lame. I get it,” Kirby shrugged.

“Actually,” Fallon started. “I think I spoke too fast. I-”

“You don’t have to pretend, Fallon,” Kirby cut her off.

“I’m not pretending.” The brunette dropped to her knees and crawled to the DVDs. “ I would have expected some classic Disney movies or some dumb Australian show that no one here has ever heard of. I’m surprised you even know about this film,” Fallon teased as she grabbed the box to wave it at the redhead.

Sensing that her tone was playful, Kirby relaxed and gained back some confidence. “It would be hard not to know it since you’ve forced Steven and me to watch it at least a million times already.”

“You’ve fallen asleep every single time.” Fallon shot back while looking through the rest of the DVDs Kirby had picked for her. “Oh my god! I love this one too!” She screamed a little too loud, holding another DVD box in her hands.

Kirby smiled. “Do you want to see something cool?”

Fallon sat up straight and looked quizzically at the younger girl. She watched her press the light switch and the room was suddenly plunged in almost complete darkness, apart from the fairy lights.

“Look up!” Kirby instructed.

The ceiling of the bedroom was covered in phosphorescent stars, including a few shooting stars. Fallon couldn’t believe how much effort Kirby had put in this fort. Yes, it was childish, but maybe, just maybe, it was ok to be a child for one more night.

Kirby entered the fort and crawled up to where Fallon was sat. She lay down and was quickly imitated by the other girl. With their heads popping out of the fort to look at the ceiling, they didn’t say a word for what felt like an eternity, especially for them who were usually the opposite of quiet. Bo eventually found the perfect spot right between them and both of the girls started petting him.

“We should make a wish,” Kirby said.

Fallon laughed mockingly and turned her head. “They’re not real shooting stars, Kirby. Even if they were, I don’t really think wishing upon a star is a thing that works outside of fairy tales,” she argued. “Daddy says the only way to get your dreams to come true is through hard work,” Fallon added, very matter-of-factly.

It was Kirby’s turn to laugh. “Or if daddy pays for them to come true, right?”

She wasn’t looking at her, but Kirby didn’t need to see her to know that Fallon had just rolled her eyes.

“Sorry,” Kirby whispered with a hint of laughter still lingering in her voice. “But you know I’m right.”

Fallon waved her hand, not interested in a debate. Of course she knew Kirby was right, but she wasn’t about to admit it to her. Her hand dropped back down to continue petting Bo. She looked at Kirby and noticed that the other girl had her eyes still fixated on the plastic stars that were covering most of the ceiling.

“Are you going to do it?”

“Do what?” Kirby asked.

“Make a wish?”

Kirby didn’t say anything but Fallon watched a smile grow on her face. The redhead took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stayed still for a moment, leaving Fallon wondering what she was wishing for. Not that she really cared that much, but she was curious. What could Kirby possibly want so bad that she was willing to try everything, including wishing for it under a ceiling full of plastic stars?

“Before you ask,” Kirby said, anticipating Fallon’s questions as if she could read her mind. “I’m not telling you what I wished for.”

“Why not?” Fallon asked.

“Because if I tell you, it won’t come true,” Kirby explained.

Fallon rolled her eyes once again and sighed. “You’re so naive, Kirby.”

They had been so focused on the fort and their conversation that Fallon had almost completely forgotten about the storm outside. They could barely hear anything from the basement anyway, or so she thought. Loud thunder resonated suddenly, and Fallon immediately squealed. Without thinking about it, she had grabbed Kirby’s hand and was now holding it tight above Bo, who was also shaking but still lying right between them. Kirby didn’t say anything, but the gesture had taken her by complete surprise, and the few seconds that Fallon was holding on to her felt like a moment in time that would never end. For some weird reason she didn’t fully comprehend herself, she didn’t want Fallon to let go.

Once the thunder was over and Fallon was still gripping her hand, Kirby turned to look at the older girl. She had a look of panic and fear still stuck on her face. “You’re safe here.”

Fallon didn’t move. She was concentrating on her breathing. She could hear Kirby. She could feel her right next to her. But she needed more time to recover.

“It’s ok to be scared, Fallon, but I promise you’re safe here,” Kirby repeated.

She gave her a moment to recover, painfully aware of their hands still holding each other. Kirby felt like hers was on fire. She had never felt this way before and the unknown feelings filling her mind were both overwhelming and confusing. Thankfully, she was pretty great at hiding her emotions and she was confident that nothing that was going on inside could transpire on the outside. She was still in control. Fallon, on the other hand, was just regaining hers.

“Sorry,” she murmured as she freed Kirby’s hand from her tight grip. “Why are you being so nice to me? Is there a dead lizard somewhere?”

Kirby chuckled. “There’s no dead lizard.” She studied the other girl lying next to her. “How many times do I have to tell you I didn’t mean to kill it?”

Fallon nodded, obviously not believing her. “What about the note saying I’m next?”

“Well, once I realized the lizard was dead, I thought I should at least pay my respects and not waste his body in vain,” Kirby explained. “It was just a joke.”

“Remind me again how many days your dad grounded you for that joke?”

“Shut up.” Kirby exclaimed playfully. She then turn on her side and looked at Fallon in the eyes. “Aren’t you tired?”

“It’s only ten.”

“No, Fallon. I mean, aren’t you tired of the constant fighting and bickering?”

The brunette didn’t say anything, but Kirby could tell by the expression that had suddenly appeared on her face that she hadn’t expected her to say something like that. She was obviously taken aback.

“Don’t you think this is kinda nice?” Kirby asked softly.

It was at that moment that Bo suddenly jumped back up, taking both girls by surprise. The small puppy jumped on Fallon’s chest and started playing with her hair. She laughed so spontaneously that Kirby couldn’t help but to laugh too.

“Bo, stop!” Fallon screamed, trying to push her dog away while simultaneously having a laughing fit.

“He’s gone mad!” Kirby added. She snapped her fingers at him, trying to get his attention away from Fallon’s face, but only succeeding in making him jump on her instead.

After another couple of minutes of them laughing hysterically and Bo going wild trying to chew on their hair, the puppy finally settled on trying to catch his tail and rolling on pillows. Fallon stopped laughing first. She watched the other girl struggle to pull a straight face again. It was the kind of laughter that made Kirby’s stomach ache and her whole face scrunch in the most unpleasant expression. Surprisingly, this was also the first time Fallon noticed something about Kirby that surprised her. Her face wasn’t unpleasant at all when she was laughing. She actually looked kind of beautiful. Just as that thought was creeping its way into her head, Fallon felt something else find its way into the pit of her stomach, or was it her chest? She wasn’t completely sure. All she knew was that it felt good, like little teardrops of joy sprinkling inside of her. Yes, it was like Kirby’s radiant joy had suddenly ricocheted straight into her heart.

Overwhelmed with a rare feeling of pure bliss, she laughed lightly .“You’re right,” she said with a nod. “This is nice.”

* * *

When Kirby woke up, she wasn’t sure what time it was exactly, but it didn’t take long for her to realize it was still nighttime. The room was dark, but she distinctly recognized Fallon’s silhouette sitting up at her feet. She was holding Bo’s head on her lap. Kirby sat up.

“Fal?”

Fallon didn’t turn to her. She kept slowly petting Bo’s head, as gently as she possibly could. When she got closer, Kirby heard her sniffling.

“Fallon, what’s wrong?” Kirby asked, reaching for her girlfriend’s hair. She pulled it away from her face and lovingly hooked a strand of hair behind Fallon’s ear. She wanted to stroke her cheek next, but she immediately noticed that her face was wet. She couldn’t see it in the dark, but she knew Fallon was crying.

“He’s gone,” Fallon managed to whisper, her throat obviously full of choked up sobs.

The heavy silence was only interrupted by Fallon’s cries. She was being quiet, but not quiet enough to go completely unnoticed. Kirby’s heart dropped in her chest and descended straight to her feet. Without giving it a second thought, she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and held her tight. Feeling like she was allowed to break down, not being able to hold it back a second longer anyway, Fallon let a loud heartbreaking sob escape her. She was sad and she had no control over anything. All she could do was feel it.

“I’m so sorry, babe,” Kirby whispered in her ear. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated.

She held her for a long time. She held her until the loud sobs went back to soft cries and the soft cries turned back into sniffles. They didn’t say anything for the entire time they were in each other’s arms, but Kirby made sure to drop little kisses on Fallon’s cheeks every now and then to soothe her.

“I’m sorry the fort wasn’t healing,” Kirby said sadly. She wasn’t sure if Fallon was still awake. It had been a while since she had felt her relax in her arms. Kirby thought maybe she had cried herself to sleep.

“I think it made him feel better,” Fallon replied softly, her voice still feeling weak.

“He always loved the fort,” Kirby said.

“It was his favorite,” Fallon conceded.

Fallon detached herself from Kirby’s embrace and searched for her lips with her fingers to kiss her in the dark. Her cheeks were still wet from all the tears she had cried. Kirby let her initiate the kiss, moving her arms around her to reposition them both in a more comfortable position, stroking her back gently.

“I love you so much,” Kirby said, their lips still so close she could feel Fallon’s when she spoke.

“I love you.”

If the fort’s healing power hadn’t been strong enough to save Bo, it somehow still felt like the safest spot in the world to Fallon. This was where it had all started for them. When she closed her eyes, she could still picture Kirby laughing with a puppy Bo running around her. The memory was still so tangible. She didn’t know back then that what she had felt on that first stormy night under the fort was the beginning of a love that would only grow stronger as they grew older. She didn’t know back then that she was looking at the love of her life and that this laughing, scrunched-up expression on Kirby’s face would still make her feel as fuzzy and warm inside as it did the first time she really looked at her in that way. However, she was immensely grateful that she knew it now.

There was nowhere else she wanted to be more but under the magic healing fort. Nowhere else but with her girl.


End file.
